Tired
of the Weatherman's Bogus Forecasts?
The Old Saying "Red Sky at Night,
Sailor's Delight, Red Sky in the Morning,
Sailor Take Warning" Does Have
Merit
Indicators
of Bad Weather
Cumulus
(Latin for "heap") clouds
increase and ride lower in the sky
toward evening.
Cirrus
(Latin for "curl of hair")
clouds merge into cirrostratus.
Clouds
travel at different heights and speeds,
and in opposite directions.
Clouds
fly against the wind.
The sky
is red at sunrise.
Yellow
streaks are visible in the sky at
sunset.
Smoke
descends instead of rising.
Fog comes
from landward direction.
Fog settles
down toward the ground.
The sun
looks blurry or hazy, or has a halo.
A ring
around the moon -- the larger the
ring, the sooner the rain will come.
Stars
twinkle more than usual.
Flowers
are especially fragrant.
Trees
show the undersides of their leaves.
Birds
fly low, or do not fly at all.
Birds
are noisier than usual.
Cows
huddle in the field and turn their
tails toward the coming storm.
Bees
stay close to the hive and will not
swarm.
Insects
bite more, and the bites itch more.
Snakes
are more exposed, less hidden than
usual.
Stone
walls feel damp.
Corns
and bunions throb, joints ache.
the
following table is adapted from a
USDA publication published in 1903,
titled
Weather Folklore and Local Weather
Signs by Edward B. Garriot
|
Wind
Direction
|
Barometer
Reading
|
Weather
Forecast
|
| SW
to NW |
30.10
to 30.20 steady |
Fair
with little temperature
change for 1 to 2 days |
| SW
to NW |
30.10
to 30.20 rising quickly |
Fair
and warmer, rain within
2 days |
| SW
to NW |
30.20or
above, steady |
Continued
fair with little temperature
change |
| SW
to NW |
30.20
or above, falling slowly |
Fair
with slowly rising temperature
for 2 days |
| S
to SW |
30.00
or below, rising slowly |
Clearing
within a few hours, fair
for next few days |
| S
to SE |
30.10
to 30.20, falling slowly |
Rain
within 24 hours |
| S
to SE |
30.10
to 30.20, falling quickly |
Increasing
wind, rain in 12 to 24
hours |
| S
to E |
29.80
or below, falling quickly |
Severe
storm within a few hours,
then clearing and colder
in 24 hours |
| SE
to NE |
30.10
to 30.20, falling slowly |
Rain
in 12 to 18 hours |
| SE
to NE |
30.10
to 30.20, falling quickly |
Increasing
winds with rain in 12
hours |
| SE
to NE |
30.00
or below, falling slowly |
Rain
continuing 1 to 2 days |
| SE
to NE |
30.00
or below, falling quickly |
Rain
with high winds, clearing
and colder in 24 to 36
hours |
| E
to NE |
30.10
or above, falling slowly |
Light
winds in summer, rain
in 2 to 4 days.
Rain within 24 hours in
winter |
| E
to NE |
30.10
or above, falling quickly |
Rain
probable within 12 to
24 hours in summer.
Increasing winds with
rain in winter |
| E
to N |
29.80
or below, falling quickly |
Severe
gale from NE in a few
hours, heavy precipitation |
| Swinging
to W |
29.80
or below, rising quickly |
Clearing
and colder |
|
Indicators
of Good Weather
Cumulus
clouds appear to dissolve and vanish.
Cumulus
clouds are smaller at sundown than
they were at noon.
Clouds
are high -- the higher the clouds,
the better the weather.
The wind
is from the west.
The sky
is red at sunset.
Fog comes
from the direction of the ocean.
Fog rises.
Birds
fly high in the sky.
Source: Gardener's
Desk Reference, Anne Halpin, 1996
ISBN 0-02-860397-4
|
